I’m really getting excited about the race. It’s only 8 months away, and I’ve still got lots of stuff to learn and get good at, but everybody’s really working hard to make sure I have everything I need. They’re making me feel really special, and I’m going to work real hard at making them all proud. I just learned that some important people from DARPA are anxious to learn more about me, and are looking for a video to see how much I’ve been learning.

Grayson told me that I need to start getting familiar with a map of an area near Kinston, NC. He’s planning on giving the folks from DARPA directions on how to get to a course there, as well as a copy of the map I will be using to demonstrate all the neat things I can do now. If the people at DARPA like the course, and I can convince them that I’m ready to take it on, then we will have about a month to set the course up and get me running around on it, sharpening my skills, and learning how to behave in traffic and obey California traffic laws. I hope the North Carolina police are OK with California traffic laws. I sure wouldn’t want to be setting in traffic court instead of refining my skills for November’s Urban Challenge.